Tacos de Papa (Potato Tacos)
These tacos are stuffed with cumin-spiced potatoes and fried until they're crunchy. This recipe first appeared in our May 2011 issue, with the article Mexico Feeds Me.
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Credit: Todd Coleman
SERVES 8
1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 ripe tomatoes, cored
2 red jalapeños, stemmed
1 clove garlic, smashed, plus 2 cloves, minced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup canola oil
18 corn tortillas
Thinly sliced green cabbage and tomatoes, and crumbled cotija cheese, for serving
Puree cilantro, oregano, sugar, tomatoes, jalapeños, smashed garlic, and 2/3 cup water in a blender until smooth; set salsa aside. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add minced garlic, butter, salt, pepper, and cumin, and mash until smooth. Set potato mixture aside.
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Spread 1 heaping tbsp. potato mixture over half of each tortilla, and fold over to form a taco. Working in batches, add tacos to oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes.
Stuff cabbage, tomatoes, and cotija into tacos; drizzle with salsa before serving.
 Recipe - Saveur.com){kind=link}
These remind me of some of the tacos that our kitchen staff would make for family meal.
I tend to look at a recipe and do my own thing - since Cotijo is Mexican Parmesan, I did a mix of Parmesan and Goat Gouda (which adds a nice tang). I also made a cabbage slaw with cilantro and lime juice. The tacos didn't need the salsa and I imagine you could experiment with different types.
I will also make these as mini-tacos for parties.
Fantastic!
Ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Fresh Roma Tomatoes
- Salt & Pepper
- Corn Tortillas (preferrably La Providencia brand)
- Veggie Oil
Simply boil the potatoes until fork tender (skin may be left on or removed - your choice, and if you'd like a bit of added flavor, add some chicken bouillon to the water.) Drain the potatoes, maybe reserving some of the water in a separate bowl.
Finely chop the tomatoes, but don't core them or squeeze out the juice.
Mash up the potatoes with the chopped tomatoes, seasoning with S & P. Add cooking water as needed to make the potatoes smooth.
NOW, on a dry skillet or komal, warm the tortillas until they're soft and pliable (stack 'em on a plate).
Heat a thin layer of oil in another skillet, fill tortillas with the potatoes and roll up like a taquito. Lay them in the skillet w/oil seam side down and fry on all sides until crispy and golden. Drain on a paper towel.
To serve, top the tacos with Mexican Crema, Queso Cotija, shredded cabbage, diced onion, cilantro, etc.
Sorry there are no measurements. Everything is kind of "to taste" and based on how many people will be eating.
Extra filling keeps very well. La Providencia tortillas (& similar brands) should be refrigerated after opening.